In retrospect that book is too much of a mixture of the basic and sophisticated stuff. It doesn't really teach how to tear people apart. For that you needed Chernev's Logical Chess Move by Move, Alekhine's game collections plus Fischer's 60 Memorable Games.Nick Grey wrote: The Game of Chess by Harry Golombek was my first book (from Primary School leaving).
Best book for a beginner
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Re: Best book for a beginner
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Re: Best book for a beginner
"How to think ahead in chess" by Reinfeld and Horowitz may be a useful book to start with.
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Re: Best book for a beginner
How about Pachman's Complete Chess Strategy series?
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Re: Best book for a beginner
Good stuff still - but for an absolute beginner?IM Jack Rudd wrote:How about Pachman's Complete Chess Strategy series?
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)
Re: Best book for a beginner
I think Jack was joking?Matt Mackenzie wrote:Good stuff still - but for an absolute beginner?IM Jack Rudd wrote:How about Pachman's Complete Chess Strategy series?
Re: Best book for a beginner
just because hes a nonce doesnt mean his book has no value.Kevin Thurlow wrote:The Pritchard, Wood and Chernev books are good. Leonard Barden did one as well, but I'm sorry to say the title eludes me at present, "Guardian Book of Chess", perhaps?
I would not like to recommend Walker to anyone.
I would hope that he cant get royalties from it though and i think people on amazon should know he is a nonce.
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Re: Best book for a beginner
The Soviet Chess Primer by Maizelis?
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Re: Best book for a beginner
This book is absolutely bad for a BEGINNER.Arshad Ali wrote:The Soviet Chess Primer by Maizelis?
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Re: Best book for a beginner
The books by Tim Onions are very good. http://www.witneychess.co.uk/junior_chess_club.htm gives a link to them in particularly 10 ways to succeed in the .....(opening, middlegame and ending) are well worth a read. the other book I would use is winning chess tactics for juniors.
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Re: Best book for a beginner
Logical Chess by Chernev I think is an ideal book. It helps to reinforce solid chess principles. The games are short and easy to understand, as I remember them anyway. Also the beginning player should be hitting tactics heavily and playing as much as they can.
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Re: Best book for a beginner
Some of the analysis and positional "rules" should be approached with caution, What it does demonstrate is that every move should have a purpose. So if reviewing your own games, why did you or your opponent play that move?John Neely wrote:Logical Chess by Chernev I think is an ideal book.
It's good at teaching you how to hack people up. Here's a game from my teenage years where the finishing crunch on h7 and f7 came from the ideas in Logical Chess.
At that time I had a paranoia about doubled pawns. Whether I got this from Golombek books or "My System", I'm not sure. That accounts for playing 6. Bd2, which I think has become popular recently. Playing 4. e3 came from "knowledge" of theory and 5. Nf3 a logical(!) next move. Bd2 was "making it up", as was the attempt to seize the initiative by taking on c5. That's an idea from the Colle which Chernev gave some relatively extensive coverage.
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Re: Best book for a beginner
Roger, it looks as though the rather splendid 21 Nf6+ is more elegant than 21 Rxf8+, but you were only a teenager (ironic). Anyway, it's a bit pedantic to criticise a move that causes resignation.